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By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Residents of two subdivisions showed up to a Pelham City Council meeting to voice their concerns over a rezoning ordinance for a property along Highway 11 during a public hearing on Monday, Nov. 4.

Located near the Grey Oaks subdivision, the 167-acre property along Hwy 11 was submitted for rezoning by developer 68 Ventures from a general business district to a mixed use neighborhood district. The piece of property is currently under contract by Tower Homes.

Tower Homes CEO Price Hightower believes that a mixed use neighborhood is the highest and best use of the land. Hightower shared that the vision for the land parcel includes a variety of housing in different price ranges as well as walking trails and pocket parks.

“We presented our vision for a community that would embrace engagement where the homes would be connected by sidewalks,” Hightower said. “We showed pictures of bike lanes that were part of paved surfaces, a system of walking trails and pocket parks with an emphasis on pets and fitness. The idea being that you could engage with your family, with pets, with nature and that you can engage with your neighbors.”

Hightower explained that the vision of the project was too large for Tower Homes alone, so the company enlisted developer 68 Ventures.

Chloe Kelly, a representative from 68 Ventures, shared that the company has held several neighborhood planning meetings and has received feedback from residents of the Grey Oaks neighborhood, and has included traffic improvements in their master plan.

Nevertheless, Grey Oaks residents were largely not in favor of the rezoning because of one simple reason: a lack of a traffic light.

Due to safety concerns, nearby residents such as Donna Sandler have been fighting for a traffic light to be installed at the intersection of Hwy 11 and Grey Oaks Parkway.

“What my concern is, along with everybody else here, is getting out of our neighborhood,” Sandler said. “I can’t even see traffic coming from my right in order for us to turn left. Cars are going 50-60 miles per hour. I’ve got a 17-year-old daughter. It scares the hell out of me all the time.”

The city of Pelham paid for a signal traffic warrant study on Tuesday, Oct. 22 to see if the location meets the ALDOT requirements for a traffic light. Of the eight hours of traffic observed in the study, the location met the criteria for a stop light for six out of the eight hours. Traffic would need to increase by 5 percent to warrant a traffic light.

Pelham City Manager Gretchen DiFante shared her recommendation that another study be done in September of 2025.

Without a traffic light, residents are concerned that a new development would increase the traffic and safety risks on the road. Some residents, such as Laura Kucher, argued that the city should not approve 68 Venture’s rezoning request until the traffic light is approved.

“You know, and I know, that progress happens when there is motivation to make it happen,” Kucher said. “Halting this rezoning request until this measure is taken is leverage to ensure safety first. My question for you is, what matters most? Money? Deadlines? Surveys? Or the safety of the residents who are already here, not the ones that are coming when we build another neighborhood.”

In defense of the rezoning, Hightower shared that if the rezoning were approved, they would be 18-24 months away from pouring foundation for the first home. He believes that this would give the city plenty of time to grow, conduct another survey and install a traffic light before new residents moved in.

“If you just sort of put the dots together, it sounds like the traffic will likely grow and that a light would probably be in the works,” Hightower said. “It might not be there by the time we have our first foundation dug, but the timing seems like it synced up pretty well to me.”

In addition, Hightower explained his belief that the lack of traffic light was out of his control and should not be used as grounds to deny the rezoning request.

“I would take a little bit of exception for us being used as leverage to accomplish something that is on a property that we have no control over and on a road that the city has no authority over,” Hightower said.

The Pelham City Council did not reach a decision on the rezoning request at the Nov. 4 meeting, but will vote at a later date.